Closure



Feb. 1, 193s.

WITNESS T. R. GILLILAND CLOSURE Filed March l5, 1937 INVENTOR ATTORNEYSPatented Feb. 1, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE CLOSURE Theodore E.Gilliland, Washington, D. C.

Application March 15,

5 Claims.

This invention relates to closures and more particularly to caps forsealing collapsible tubes such as toothpaste, toothpowder and othermaterial. Although illustrated more specically for use in combinationwith collapsible tubes the purposes of the invention are equallyattainable with various other types of containers.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cap which may bethreaded on to the neck of the container, retaining the advantages ofthe screw thread and which also may be hinged and swung laterally of theneck to permit the contents to be dispensed without completely releasingthe cap so that the cap will not become lost.

A further object is to provide a screw threaded hinged cap having aneccentric hinge member adapted to enter a slot in the neck of the tubewhen the cap is swung on its hinge and hold the cap stationary and outof the way during the dispensing operation.

A further object is to provide means for assisting in the threading ofthe cap on to the neck when closing, making it unnecessary to ascertainthe proper threading position.

A further object is to provide a device o f this character which will beformed of a few strong simple durable and easily assembled parts, whichwill be inexpensive to manufacture, and which will not easily get out oforder.

With the above and other objects in View the invention consists ofcertain novel details of construction and combinations of partshereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood thatvarious modifications may be resorted to within the scope of theappended claims without departing from the spirit or sacricing any ofthe advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification,

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional View of a tube cap constructed inaccordance with one form of the invention, in applied position.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the cap open.

Figure 3 is a detail perspective View of the tube neck showing thetapered hinge pin and the slot underneath to receive the eccentric hingeeye of the cap.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the tube and cap shown in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the tube neck and capand showing the cap screwed to the hinging position and about to berocked to open position.

'1937, Serial No. 131,037

(Cl. 22h-60) Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modifiedform of the invention.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the form of the invention shown inFigure 6.

Figure 8 is a plan view of the modified form of `the invention with thecap swung open.

Except for a small portion of the eccentric hinge ear the hingingmechanism is concealed in the closed position of both forms of theinvention.

Referring now to the drawing in which like characters of referencedesignate similar parts in the various views, I0 designates acollapsible tube having a threaded neck I I to receive an interiorlythreaded cap I2. The bottom of the thread in the cap is grooved as shownat I3 to receive the circumferentially extending end of a tapered hingepin I4.

'I'he hinge pin I4 is provided with a radially disposed portion I5adapted to fit in a slot I6 in the end of the neck and the pin is alsoprovided with a downwardly bent anchoring end il that is snugly tted inan opening I8 that eX- tends longitudinally of the tube neck.

As best shown in Figure 5, the cap is provided with a hinge ear IShavingan eccentrically disposed tapered opening to receive thecircumferentially and tapered extending end I4 of the hinge pin when thecap is unscrewed fromv the neck. The threads at the bottom of the capand top of the neck are terminated so that the cap is released forhinging at the same time the hinge eye and hinge pin are completelyengaged and not before. A recess 2| is formed in the neck II underneaththe circumferentially extending portion I4 of the hinge pin so that themoment the hinge is rocked upon the hinge pin the eccentrically disposedhinge ear I9 will enter the recess and, as best shown in Figure 4, willengage the walls of the recess so that the cap cannot escape from thehinge pin, the ear bearing against the walls of the recess withsuiicient friction to hold the cap in the open position shown in Figure2 when the cap is rocked to full open position and permits the contentsof the tube to be dispensed, without the cap falling into the way, evenif the tube be inverted.

After each dispensing operation the cap may be manually rocked back onits hinge pin, and when the cap becomes aligned with the neck the capmay be then screwed tight upon the neck without the necessity foriinding the proper threading position since the threading alignment hasbeen maintained by the pin and hinge eye. Groove I3 in the bottom of thethread of the cap receives the hinge pin I4 during such advance of thecap to closedV position. Arrow on top of cap shows direction of hinge.

' The pin and hole are tapered at the same lslope as the Vthread toallow-the pin to pass into the hole and provide a snug fit during thehing- Yfing operation and to allow for the upward movement of the cap asit is turned, as well as to make it possible to hinge the cap about ahorizontal axis. A

Inrthe modified form o-f the invention shown in Figures 6 to 8 inclusivethe pitch of the thread 22 in the neck 23 is increased so thatsuiiiciently wide spaces 24 exist between the threads to receive thetapered pin 25 carried by thecap 26 Y and thus the groove I3 in thepreviously described form of the invention may be eliminated.

In Figures 6, 7 and 8 the projection 30 which carries the hinge eyeopening 29 is attached to the neck of the container while the pin isattached to the cap. As the cap is turned on the neck the pin passes inthe clearance rspace provided between threads of the neck while thehinge eye projection passes in the clearance space provided between thethreads of the cap. Since the pin 25 and the opening in the hinge eye 2gare both tapered at the same slope as the thread 22 the pin will passinto the opening in the extreme position and allow the cap to be swungback away from the neck. The pin will it snugly into the opening and thecap may be swung about the pin as a horizontal axis for a full 180degrees to allow for dispensing.

The recess 2l is formed in the neck sorthat the moment the cap is rockedupon the hinge the eccentrically disposed cam projection 28 or ear onthe cap will enter the recess and will bear against the walls of therecess with suflicient friction to hold the cap in the open position.The threads at the bottom of the capV and the top of the neck areterminated so that the cap is released for hinging at the same time thelhinge opening and hinge pin are completely engaged and not before. Thethreads on the side of the neck may be cut away -to allow the cap to beswung through the full 180 degrees to be out of'the way'. during thedispensing operation.

From the above description it is thought that the construction andoperation of the invention will be fully understood withoutfurther-explanation.

' What is claimed is: Y

1. A collapsible tube or other container having a neck, a cap screwthreadedly engaged with the tube, a hinge pin extending circumferential-1y of'the edge of the neck and traveling inthe thread of the cap whenthe cap is screwed on to the neck or screwed to the hingingr position,and

hinging position.

a hinge ear on the edge of the cap receiving the pin to permit the capto be swung laterally of the neck when the Vcap is unscrewed to th 2. Acollapsible tube or other container having an exteriorly threaded neck,an interiorly threaded cap engaged on said neck, the bottom ofthe threadin the cap being grooved, a circumferentially extending tapered pin onthe tube neck traveling in said 'groovewhen the cap is screwed on to theneck or screwed to the hinging position, a hinge ear on the edge of thecap having an eccentric tapered opening adapted to receive said pin whenthe cap is unscrewed, and means on the neck adjacent to the pinreceiving the eccentric hinge ear when the cap is rocked on thepin andholding the cap in rocked open position attached to the neck.

3. A collapsible tube or other containerhaving an exteriorly threadedneck, a cap threaded on to the neck, a hinge pin carried by the neck, aneccentric hinge ear on theedge of the cap engageable with the hinge pinwhen the cap is unscrewed, and a recess in the neck underneath the pinhaving walls adapted tov receive the eccentric hinge ear and form stopsto hold theY latto hinging position andfpermitting theV cap to be swunglaterally of the neck, and a cam-projection at the edge of the capengageable in a recess at the edge of said neck Yto hold said capstationary when swung laterally of said neck.

-5. A collapsible tube or other container hav`l ing an exteriorlythreaded neck and an interior)- ly Vthreaded cap engaging said neck, theone being provided with'a hinge pin and the other with a hingeearremotelydisposed from the pin when y the cap is screwed down onthe neck,theV pin v and ear being relatively movable with onejin the path ofmovement of the other when the cap is unscrewed from the neck, the earbeing provided with an opening entered by the pin atthe time that thecapis released from the neck to provide a hinge connection between thecap and neck and permit the former being swung laterally away from thelatter.V y

THEODORE R. GILLILAND..

